25 Striking Geisha Tattoos Designs

Although it’s not a main stream tattoo, Geisha Tattoo is a popular tattoo design with Japanese origin. This interesting tattoo design has the versatility of being worn by both men and women. This interesting design holds deep symbolic meaning for the person who gets this tattoo inked on the body. But their meanings can be deepened by blending them with a variety of different symbols from the Japanese culture. An important fact about Geisha tattoo is that, this tattoo is mostly inked as a large sized tattoo because of the detailed work in the design.

1. This tattoo is a beautiful design and its incredibly unique. I love how the depth of that tattoo is displayed by the perfect use of the negative space. The solid black lines and the lack of color show the creative genius within the artist and the canvas. The simplicity of this Geisha reveals the elegance that lies within the piece as a whole.

This article will give you a bright vision about the history of Geisha tattoo, the possible variations of design and their meanings. We present here a huge collection of images of fabulous Geisha tattoo designs.

Origin of Geisha Tattoo

Before talking anything about Geisha tattoo, it would be good to know about Geisha.  Geisha is a beautiful lady with a Japanese origin, who is slender in build and wears a white mask with a black wig. Wrapped in a colorful kimono, Geisha is known to be a symbol of beauty and mystery. Geisha tattoos are very vibrant and colorful, that is why they look very attractive when inked.

2. This tattoo looks so realistic that it almost unbelievable. the perfect placement of the darks and lights give this womans face shading and natural looking shading. The makeup, hair, and details within the small amount of clothing seen in this tattoo make you take a step back and look deeper into this tattoo and appreciate it.

Geisha is actually a highly trained professional woman, whose job is to entertain men by singing, dancing and distinctly polite speech and behaviour. But one thing that should be very clear is that, Geisha were not prostitutes. They were professionals and had a deep knowledge about the Japanese culture and etiquette. Their skills made the best use during various cultural events.

There are various elements that the Geisha represent such as – power, intrigue, dreams, aspirations, ambitions, desire and mystery of women. Her beauty and entertainment skills were so divine that she was kept hidden from the society and was unattainable by everyone. Some people refer her to the “figment of the imagination”.

3. This tattoo would have taken a really really long time, but it was well worth it. The Japanese traditional tattoo was perfectly executed on a great spot on this woman’s body. The line work within the hair and clothes of this Geisha give it a solid flow that brings the piece to life. The flowers underneath are another depiction of the beauty within the geisha and the tattoo in general.

The Geisha is believed to have a deep association with red colour, which is the symbol of fertility. In many Japanese artworks like paintings or tattoos, the Geisha is associated with cherry blossoms that are the symbol of speciality of Japan.

Having the versatility to be worn by both men and women, in modern day Japan, the Geisha is taken as a traditional symbol of  the culture whereas in western culture, it represents grace and beauty.

4. This is not something you dont see very often, and I’m extremely impressed. The amount of purple and the different shades of it is remarkable. From the lighter shades within the woman’s clothes to the darker versions of it in the umbrella, purple is everywhere and its amazing. Purple is a color that represents royalty, so this tattoo is filled with royal implications.

Variation in Design

The vibrant colorful Geisha tattoos are very eye-catching. And you can make them even more stunning by combining them with various symbolic elements. One of the popular design is the blend of Geisha with the Japanese samurai, where you can see a samurai protecting the Geisha. This is the true symbol of protection and guardianship.

5. Many tattoo designs portray the Geisha with cherry blossoms and cherries as a symbol of fertility. Their seems to be a sad story being portrayed in this tattoo as the woman is crying and either releasing a firefly or catching one. As you look closer, you can see the that bottom half of the woman is actually a tree. This clever, and well structured tattoo invokes emotion in the one looking at it.

In some designs, you can see the Geisha with fans and umbrellas symbolizing nobility. Even some creatures from the Chinese myths such as the dragon and the tiger, are also associated with Geisha and make the tattoo more lively and meaningful.

Some artists use Japanese writings, that are viewed as unique, exotic and beautiful art by the Western culture, with the Geisha to create a fantastic tattoo design.

Meaning of the Geisha Tattoo

Although not a main stream tattoo, the Geisha tattoo design is very symbolic in itself and portrays various meanings. Some of the basic meanings are mentioned below:

• Beauty
• Elegance
• Mystery
• Uniqueness
• Sexuality
• Dreams
• Aspirations
• Skill
• Desire
• Passion
• Imagination
• Exotica
• Grace
• Femininity
• Intrigue
• Fantasy

Different people follow different ideas behind these tattoos. People of Asian cultures symbolize their cultural beliefs whereas Western culture people symbolize divine beauty. Some other cultures consider it to be a sex symbol.

6. A tattoo across the entire back like this would have taken quite a bit of time. I love the movement and flow of this piece as well. The ribbons in the hands of the Geisha show that the woman is putting on some sort of performance. The detail within the dress of the Geisha is pretty spectacular as well.

The Geisha tattoos are mostly large sized tattoo so that they can capture the beautiful details of the art work. This is the reason why all men and women choose the Geisha tattoos to be inked on their back, shoulders or arms.

7) The detail in the hair of this tattoo is the best part of the tattoo. It almost looks like each strand of hair was perfectly placed on this geisha’s head.

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8) I love the fact that this geisha is holding a tattoo gun. What a clever and fun way to add a new style feel to a traditional style piece of art.

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10) This is what Hello Kitty would look like if she was real, or if she was a geisha. I love the style of this tattoo and the intricate detail that went into the tattoo to make a cartoon character look realistic and filled with detail.

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11) This a classic American style take on an ancient traditional geisha tattoo. This geisha has kind of been turned into a sailor Jerry style pin up girl. Maybe this is what Japanese sailors got while they were in the Navy.

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12) The pinks, blues, and purples mesh so well in this beautiful and artistic geisha tattoo. The swords in this woman’s hands make her look really hard core.

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13) This back piece would have taken a couple of sessions and its very beautiful. the detail and objective of keeping this tattoo was executed perfectly.

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14)The pastel colors in this tattoo is a very original and unique twist on the typically bold colored geisha tattoos. I enjoy seeing diversity within the Japanese style

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15) The line work in this tattoo is really solid and defined. This a tattoo that wont fade over an entire lifetime.

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16) This looks like a photograph. The shading is perfect and details in the hair and flowers and breath taking.

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17) This tattoo has tattoos. I love seeing ideas like that this that go beyond what the common man would think to do with a piece of art that will be on them forever.

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18) I love the motion and action in this tattoo. the way the colors collide in the background is pretty stunning as well.

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19) Once again, another tattoo filled with detail in every part of the tattoo. the hair, outfit and accessories all look stunning.

20) This tattoo is incredbliy beautiful and next to flawless. everything from the shine off the woman’s face to the movement in the water is perfect. the colors blend together without any fault and all of the line work is clean and solid. I would give this tattoo an award if I had one to hand out.

21) There aren’t much better choices for a half sleeve with motion than a dragon and geisha. The dragon gives you feeling that you could run along its back and the geisha inputs and feminine and elegant sense to the rest of the tattoo. This ink look likes it was done in a very traditional style.

22) How does this tattoo make you feel? There is so much black in this tattoo that it could almost be used as an ink blog. Though there is a ton of black shading in this tattoo, its very well done. the pale white face and the bright reds command you to pay attention to this tattoo.

Th23) As the Geisha glows effortlessly across and down this woman’s back the colors and fan do the same. The beautiful detail within the outfit of the geisha. the subtle yellows and whites look as if the outfit was actually sewn together. The blue background give the woman a whole other level of beauty and helps her to stand out even more.

24) This Geisha seems to be eating a flower. The creativity and style of this tattoo really bring this whole thing together. This looks like its a traditional Japanese style painting beautifully etched into the skin.

25) This is a very dark yet beautiful tattoo. the blood coming from the eyes depicts some sort of possession, death, or darkness. The negative space in the hair is used well as well. The pops of red within the massive amounts of black are striking.

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